Precision industrial pneumatic mechanisms, such as a pneumatic gripping devices, typically employ some form of pneumatic or electropneumatic valve for controlling the flow of a working fluid (e.g. air in a vacuum system) to a controlled pressure region, such as a venturi associated with a vacuum pick-up head of a seizure/transport tool. One example of such a mechanism is the pneumatic vacuum gripper system described in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,750,768 issued June 14, 1988. In accordance with the structure and operation of the patented system, fluid-flow through a main venturi vacuum generator is selectively controlled, in order to ensure the application of a vacuum to a pick-up head as necessary to seize and grip an object.
In conventional industrial applications, the various units that make up an overall system are customarily stand alone devices interconnected using numerous `plumbing` conduits and fixtures to realize an overall system functionality. While the availability of different types of parts from a variety of sources offers the system designer a wide choice of system configuration, the production of customized interface components is often required, which keeps costs high and often results in an implementation that suffers from weight and space penalties, thereby restricting multiple application usage.